Token or coin inlet mechanisms for prior-payment machines

ABSTRACT

Coin accepting machine comprising, A GUIDE MEANS FOR GUIDING A COIN ALONG A TRAJECTORY COMPRISED IN THE PLANE OF THE COIN, A ROTATING GATE DISPOSED IN SAID TRAJECTORY AND CAPABLE OF BEING ROTATED BY A FORCE EXERTED THROUGH SAID COIN, A LOCKING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID GATE AND CONTROL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOCKING MEANS FOR UNLOCKING THE GATE BY INSERTION OF A COIN, SAID CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A DETECTOR OPERATIVELY DISPOSED ON A LATERAL PART OF THE AREA SWEPT BY THE COIN IN SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR ALLOWING SIMULTANEOUS CONTACT OF THE COIN WITH SAID GATE AND SAID DETECTOR.

United States Patent [191,

Quenot et a1.

[54] TOKEN OR COIN INLET MECHANISMS FOR PRIOR-PAYMENT MACHINES [75] Inventors: Denis Quenot; Alain Duc, both of Besancon, France [73] Assignee: Compteurs Schlumberger,

Montrouge, France [22] Filed: Jan. 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 324,929

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 21, 1972 [52] US. Cl. l94/lE, 194/102 [51] Int. Cl. G07f 3/02 [58] Field of Search 19 4/1 E, 102, DIG. 20

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,503,323 4/1950 Gottfried e t al. 194/102 France 72.02010 1 1 Mar. 5, 1974 890,046 6/ l 908 Green 194/ 1 ()2 Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-David A. Scherbel 57 ABSTRACT Coin accepting machine comprising,

a guide means for guiding a coin along a trajectory comprised in the plane of the coin,

a rotating gate disposed in said trajectory and capable of being rotated by a force exerted through said coin,

a locking means associated with said gate and control means associated with said locking means for unlocking the gate by insertion of a coin, said control means comprising a detector operatively disposed on a lateral part of the area swept by the coin in said guide means for allowing simultaneous contact of the coin withsaid gate and said detector,

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEB MAR 51974 sum 2 nr 2 Fig 3 TOKEN OR COIN INLET MECHANISMS FOR PRIOR-PAYMENT MACHINES FIELD OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known that these machines are designed with a token inlet opening generally consisting of a slot arranged in 'the walls of an ear-shaped receptacle. This opening is usually equipped with a gate-type mechanism which closes off the said opening when the said mechanism is not in service and which also conveys into the machine any token introduced in the opening as soon as this token can no longer be retrieved from the outside. The gate must also allow locking in the closed position when a token has just been introduced, and this long enough to permit a suitable sensing device to perform theregistering corresponding to the value represented by this token, any attempt to introduce an additional token, and any fraudulent attempt to introduce any object, then being made impossible. The locking of the gate once the registering operation is over will then allow the introduction of another token.

. A certain number of prior-art mechanisms exist for performing these different functions. One type, particularly simple and original, has been described in the French Pat. No. l,592,485.

However, these mechanisms all the have the same drawback. While the introduction 'of any object is made impossible during the sensing and registering period, this is no longer true once these operations are over and the gate is again locked. It then becomes possible to introduce not only an additional token, but also other unauthorized objects in a fraudulent attempt to use the machine or towillfully put it out of order. Operating safetyis consequently not completely assured. In fact, it is limited to protection against external agents (water or dust for. example). I I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to overcome this drawback by providing a mechanism ensuringthe normal introduction of tokens, and more generally of circular pieces, while"opposing the introduction of various objects such as wires, keys, matches, paperclips and, more generally, any objects of various forms whose section is smaller than that of the opening'in the machine.

More precisely stated, it is an object of the invention to provide a gate-type mechanism for the introduction of tokens or coins of various kinds in aprior-payment machine such as a parking meter, comprising an inlet opening consisting of a slot delimited by the lateral walls of an ear-shaped receptacle, a rocker forming a gate pivoting, within the said slot, around an axis passing through the said walls, a shutter integral with the said rocker and pivoting with the latter around the said. axis, the shutter-rocker assembly being loaded against a roller by a spring, the said mechanism further including a locking piece having a flat general form and mounted pivotingly around an axis parallel to the plane of the said shutter, the said piece being equipped, on

the one hand, with a finger going through thelateral walls of the receptacle so as to be in the path of a token and, on the other, with a stop arranged so as tooppose the pivoting of the shutter, the shoulder of the said stop maintaining the locking piece on the shutter under the action of a spring.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment, in connection with the appended drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 is a front view of the'mechanism operated normally by the introduction of a token;

FIG. 2 is a top view, under the conditions of the precedings figure;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the mechanism blocked at the moment of a fraudulent attempt to introduce a paper clip or a match; and

FIG. 4 is a top view, under the conditions of the preceding figure.

; DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The figures show the ear-shaped receptacle 1 whose lateral walls delimit a slot forming an inlet opening. In the said opening engages a gate consisting of a rocker 9, in the form ofa flat elbow, pivoting around the horizontal axis 10 which passes through the walls of the receptacle l. The rocker 9 is rigidly connected to a shutter 8 parallel to the said rocker and arranged outside of the slot. The shutter 8 also pivots around the axis 10. The assembly consisting of the shutter 8 and the rocker 9 is brought back, in the rest position, against the roller 5 by a spring 6 anchored on the shutter 8.

A locking piece 7, having a flat general form, is mounted pivotingly around a vertical axis consisting of the pivots 2 and 3 integral with the receptacle 1. The said piece is arranged, in the rest position, parallel to and next to the shutter 8. The piece 7 has a finger 4 going through the walls of the receptacle 1 so as to be in the path of any token introduced into the inlet opening. It also has, on its end, a stop 12 which, in the rest position of the piece .7, opposes the pivoting of the shutter 8 and, consequently, of the rocker 9 A spring 13, integral with the receptacle 1, keeps the locking piece 7 in the rest position with the shoulder 11 of the stop 12 bearing against the shutter 8.

The mechanism just described operates as explained below.

When a token l4 orany authorized coin is introduced into the inlet of the machine, the said token bears on the roller 5 and on the rocker 9, as shown in FIG. 1. The token 14 also bears on the finger 4 and, owing to the pressure exerted on this finger, causes it to move, along with the locking piece 7 with which it is integral. Owing to the pivoting of the said piece around its axis, the stop 12 which retains the shutter 8 frees the said shutter as can be seen in FIG. 2. The shutter 8 and the rocker 9 can then pivot, thereby allowing the introduction of the token 14. Once the token 14 is introduced, the rocker 9 comes back to the rest position on the roller 5 under the action of the return spring 6. The locking piece 7, whose finger 4 is not actuated by the token 14, also comes back to its rest position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Under the action of the spring 13, the sholder l1 bears against the shutter 8.

When a fraudulent attempt is made to utilize the machine, or to willfully put it out of commission, by introducing any object having a section smaller than that of the slot, but not having over a sufficient area a radius of curvature corresponding to that of a token, the said object bears against the rocker 9 and the roller 5, and not against the finger 4. Such an example is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 concerning an attempt to introduce a paper clip and/or a match 16 into the machine. The locking piece 7 then remains secured in the rest position and opposes, through the stop 12, the pivoting of the shutter 8.and of the'rocker 9. It is thus impossible to introduce the object.

The particular design of the mechanism, providing a total closing of the coin inlet by the rocker 9, thus prevents not only the ingress of water and dust, but also the introduction of various objects of small section.

What is claimed is:

1. Coin accepting machinecomprising,

a guide means for guiding a coin along a trajectory comprised in the plane of the coin,

a rotating gate disposed in said trajectory and capable of being rotated by a coin engaging said gate a locking means associated with said gate, and control means associated with said locking means for unlocking the gate by insertion of a coin,

said control means comprising a detector operatively disposed on a lateral part of the area swept by the coin in said guide means for allowing simultaneous contact of the coin with said gate and said detector.

2. Coin accepting machine according to claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises two parallel plates, said gate being formed by a third plate placed between said parallel plates, said gate being mounted on a shaft perpendicular to said plates.

3. Coin accepting machine according to claim 2 further comprising a third parallel plate mounted on a portion of the shaft, bearing said gate, extending through one of said parallel plates, said locking means is formed by a plate rotatably mounted on a second shaft parallel to said plates and having a locking finger extending through said one of the parallel plates in the path of said gate.

4. Coin accepting machine according to claim 3 wherein said detector comprises a finger operatively connected with said locking means for pivoting the latter around its shaft.

5. A gate-type mechanism for the introduction of tokens or coins of various kinds in a prior-payment machine such as a parking meter, comprising an inlet opening consisting of a slot delimited by the lateral walls of an ear-shaped receptacle, a rocker forming a gate pivoting, within the said slot, around an axis passing through the said walls, a shutter integral with the said rocker and pivoting with the latter around the said axis, the shutter-rocker assembly being loaded against a roller by a spring, the said mechanism further including a locking piece having a flat general form and mounted pivotingly around, an axis parallel to the plane of the said shutter, the said piece being equipped, on the one hand, with a finger going through the lateral walls of the receptacle so as to be in the path of a token and, on the other, with a stop arranged so as to oppose the pivoting of the shutter, the shoulder of the said stop maintaining the locking piece on the shutter under the action of a spring. I

6. The mechanism of-claim 5 wherein the pivoting axis'of the locking piece is perpendicular to the pivoting axis of the shutter-rocker assembly.

7. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein the pivoting axis of the locking piece is integral with the receptacle.

8. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein the spring maintaining the locking piece on the shutter is integral with the receptacle. 

1. Coin accepting machine comprising, a guide means for guiding a coin along a trajectory comprised in the plane of the coin, a rotating gate disposed in said trajectory and capable of being rotated by a coin engaging said gate a locking means associated with said gate, and control means associated with said locking means for unlocking the gate by insertion of a coin, said control means comprising a detector operatively disposed on a lateral part of the area swept by the coin in said guide means for allowing simultaneous contact of the coin with said gate and said detector.
 2. Coin accepting machine according to claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises two parallel plates, said gate being formed by a third plate placed between said parallel plates, said gate being mounted on a shaft perpendicular to said plates.
 3. Coin accepting machine according to claim 2 further comprising a third parallel plate mounted on a portion of the shaft, bearing said gate, extending through one of said parallel plates, said locking means is formed by a plate rotatably mounted on a second shaft parallel to said plates and having a locking finger extending through said one of the parallel plates in the path of said gate.
 4. Coin accepting machine according to claim 3 wherein said detector comprises a finger operatively connected with said locking means for pivoting the latter around its shaft.
 5. A gate-type mechanism for the introduction of tokens or coins of various kinds in a prior-payment machine such as a parking meter, comprising an inlet opening consisting of a slot delimited by the lateral walls of an ear-shaped receptacle, a rocker forming a gate pivoting, within the said slot, around an axis passing through the said walls, a shutter integral with the said rocker and pivoting with the latter around the said axis, the shutter-rocker assembly being loaded against a roller by a spring, the said mechanism further including a locking piece having a flat general form and mounted pivotingly around an axis parallel to the plane of the said shutter, the said piece being equipped, on the one hand, with a finger going through the lateral walls of the receptacle so as to be in the path of a token and, on the other, with a stop arranged so as to oppose the pivoting of the shutter, the shoulder of the said stop maintaining the locking piece on the shutter under the action of a spring.
 6. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein the pivoting axis of the locking piece is perpendicular to the pivoting axis of the shutter-rocker assembly.
 7. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein the pivoting axis of the locking piece is integral with the receptacle.
 8. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein the spring maintaining the locking piece on the shutter is integral with the receptacle. 